Human Rights And Labor Practices

We respect our workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. In consonance with our values, we have consistently taken steps to maintain a harmonious relationship between labor and management. By the end of 2022, 34 labor unions were active in the SMC Group and approximately 14.8% of the Company’s rank and file employees were parties to collective bargaining agreements (CBA).

Each of our subsidiaries has its own Labor Relations unit, which closely coordinates with the Corporate Human Resources - Labor Relations (CHR-LR) department. In line with our commitment to comply with labor and other related laws, we are committed to undertake the following actions:

  • Educating employees about and providing copies of the Company’s Code of Ethics manual and Employee Handbook, which contain the policies and guidelines governing the duties and responsibilities of every SMC employee;

  • Utilizing established communication channels (i.e., labor-management councils, tool-box meetings, townhall assemblies, one-on-one coaching/counseling) in resolving organizational issues, and in case of unresolved matters, activating the escalation protocol to higher management for appropriate decision;

  • Promoting active engagement and participation of legitimate labor organizations and their members in all the activities of the San Miguel family; and

  • Ensuring good faith in the exercise of our prerogatives related to employee discipline by adhering to rules-based and fair administrative investigation procedures, due process requirements, and reasonableness in the imposition of disciplinary actions.

To promote a strong culture of compliance, we provide orientation and training for new supervisors on relevant labor laws, rules, and administrative issuances of the DOLE. CHR facilitates seminars and training for new supervisors on the proper interpretation and modeling of SMC’s Code of Ethics and values. Additionally, we continue to champion workers’ welfare by improving programs to orient new employees on their growth opportunities, improve their quality of life through industry competitive remuneration, and provide initiatives that will improve their integration into the SMC Group.

With the challenges brought about by the pandemic to workplaces worldwide, we came up with ways to effectively address the issues of our employees through creative means of communication. We utilized virtual meetings and conversations to ensure that no employee was left behind during the global health crisis. Our employees were also given the option to seek redress of any grievances through internal platforms such as email, Viber, and Facebook communities.

In full compliance with the Constitution and other relevant and applicable laws, we have instituted clear policies on protecting human rights and condemning child and forced labor. Likewise, we denounce all acts that encourage violation of human rights and other related laws.

Active CBA
RCA
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